Counting device



Dec. 8, 1953 BUD 2,661,904

COUNTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 12, 1950 Inventor H a us 3U) Attorney Patented Dec. 8, 1953 UNITED STATE rarEN'r OFFICE.

December 21, 1949 9 Claims. (Cl. 235-117) The present invention relates to a counting device of the kind comprising a plurality of digit wheels and a rotatable spindle coupled to one of the digit wheels for rotating it, a transfer mechanism being provided for transferring rotational movement of a digit wheel, while passing through a predetermined position, to another digit wheel. Usually, the spindle is coupled to the unit-digit wheel, and the transfer mechanism becomes operative when a digit wheel passes from the position corresponding to its digit 9 to the position corresponding to its digit and/or vice versa.

In use, the rotatable spindle may be connected to driving element, for example, a driving shaft, the number of rotations of which are to be counted.

Although, particularly in the case of die-cast digit wheels, the weight of such wheels may be kept low and the required torque small, it has been found that the transfer mechanism and/or the digit wheels are liable to undue wear during use, if the counting device is frequently started and stopped with excessive or uncontrolled acceleration or deceleration.

It is an object of the present invention. to pr vide a counting device wherein this drawback is avoided or, at least, decreased.

To this end the invention provides a resilient coupling between the rotatable spindle and one of the digit wheels.

I is another object of the invention to provide a counting device of a neat, compact and inexpenconstruction which is rendered possible by roviding the resilient coupling between the rotatable spindle and the digit wheel, and not between the said spindle and a shaft driving the spindle.

It is a further object of the invention to pro a counting device having a resilient coupling between the rotatable spindle thereof and a digit wheel, who ein means are provided for coupling the said spindle to the said digit wheel ncnresiliently or less resiliently when in use the resilient coupling becomes damaged or worn out, whereby to enable continued use of the counting device for, at least, a limited further period.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of an embodiment of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a counting device of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the device of Fig. 1 when viewed in the direction of the arrow II, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a detail of the device of Fig. I viewed in the direction opposite that indicated by the arrow II;

Fig. l is an exploded view of the coupling mechanism of the device; and

5 is a plan View of another detail of the device of Fig. I viewed in the direction of the arrow II.

Referring now to the drawings, the counting device generally denoted by numeral 1 comprises a casing having a flange 3 with holes 1- therein for fixing the device, for example by means of screws (not shown), in any convenient position. The counting device I comprises a plurality of digit wheels, five in the drawings, the digits marked thereon being visible through a window 5 in the casing 2, a rotatable spindle 5 being resiliently coupled to the digit wheel I, this being the uni -digit wheel in the embodiment shown, a transfer mechanism ii (see Fig. i) being provided for transferring rotational movement of a digit wheel, while passing through a predetermined position, to another digit wheel. Some of these components, such as the casing and the digit wheels may be made by die-casting.

The resilient coupling between the rotatable spindle 5 and the unit-digit wheel '1' comprises a disc on the rotatable spindle (-3 and rotatable therewith. The disc [2 has a recess it open towards it circumference i l and towards its side iii shown in plan View in Fig. 3 and facing the unit-digit wheel i to be coupled to the rotatable spindle ii. The width or the recess i3 decreases in the radial direction of the disc !2 towards the circumference hi thereof so that a resilient block it of rubber or synthetic rubber may be introduced into the recess from the said side [5, the block protruding beyond the circumference Hi of the disc 5?. and being prevented from leaving the recess IS in the radial direction or" the disc by the decreasing width of the recess E3.

The unit-digit wheel l to be coupled to the rotatable spindle 8 has a circumferential shoulder ii at its side facing the disc i2, the shoulder ii having a recess is adapted to receive that portion of the resilient block It which protrudes beyond the circumference hi of the disc I2. The disc I2 has such a size that, when the arrangement is assembled, the disc I?! is surrounded by the shoulder ll of the unit-digit wheel l and the protruding portion of the resilient block it engages the recess it in the shoulder H and thereby effects the resilient coupling between the disc l2 (and, thus, the rotatable spindle 6) and the shoulder I! (and, thus, the adjacent unit-digit wheel '5). A retaining Washer 19 idling on the spindle 6 is inserted between the disc l2 and the unit-digit wheel. i to be surrounded by the shoulder ll, whereby to prevent the block i6 from becoming disengag d from the disc [2 and from intericring, or can friction, with stationary men1- bers of the counting device. The height of the shoulder l! is such that when the arrangement is assembled that side of the disc l2 which is remote from the unit-digit wheel 7 is substantially flush with the free edge of the shoulder ll.

In order to effect a non-resilient or less re silient coupling between the disc l2 and the unitdigit wheel I when the resilient block it becomes worn out, the circumference IQ of the disc 12 is flattened at both sides of and adjacent the recess 23 in the disc 12, and the shoulder H of the unit-digit wheel I comprise two projections or beads it, one at each side of the recess 3 in the shoulder, the projections or beads 20 being directed towards the circumference Hi of the disc [2. The said circumference M is flattened to such an extent that the said projections or beads 20 do not contact the circumference M of the disc 12 while, owing to the resilient coupling effected by the resilient block [6, the recess IS in the disc I2 substantially registers with the recess IS in the shoulder l2. When, however, the resilient block it becomes, in use, worn out, the disc 12 on being rotated in one direction slips relatively to the adjacent unit-digit wheel 1 until one of the two projections or beads 20 on the shoulder I? or" the unit-digit wheel 1 contacts the circumference I4 of the disc 12 and prevents further slipping of the disc I2 relatively to the unit-digit wheel l in the said direction, whereby a non-re silient coupling or, if the resilient block is not sufficiently worn out, a less resilient coupling is effected.

Thereby it is rendered possible to continue using the counting device for, at least, a limited further period until the worn-out block can Con, veniently be replaced by a fresh block, or until the increased wear resulting from the non-rcsillent or less resilient drive causes a final breakdown.

After the arrangement has been assembled the casing 2 be closed at its open end (which is the rear end when viewed as shown in Fig. 1) by a lid 2|, which may be fixed to the open end of the casing 2 in any convenient manner, and may, if desired, e sealed thereto.

Modifications of the embodiment described are possible. For example, instead of the flange 3 the casing may have other fixing means, such as a plurality of flanges or a gib. The resilient block may be replaced by any other suitable spring means, such as a leaf-spring or springs, or a coiled spring or springs. Again, instead of pro viding one resiient block 16, a plurality of such blocks may be arranged on the disc i2, for example at diametrically opposed regions. The block or blocks may be held on the disc by means other than. those described and ma engage the shoulder of the digit wheel in any other suitable manner. For example, the block may be riveted to the disc and abut against abutment means. The resilient block or blocks may be fixed to a digit wheel and may engage a recess or recesses in the disc I2. The rotatable spindle may be coupled to a digit wheel other than the unit-digit wheel.

It should be clearly understood that the attached drawings are given by way of example only. Many modifications of, omissions from, and additions to, the embodiment illustrated are possible without departure from the spirit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. .A counting device comprising a plurality of digit wheels, a rotatable spindle, a disc on said rotatable spindle and rotatable therewith, said disc having a recess, a block. of resilient material held in said recess, a portion. of said block of resilient material protruding radially from said recess beyond said disc, and a shoulder on one digit wheel, said shoulde having another recess engaging the protruding portion of the block of resilient material.

A counting device as in claim 1 wherein the width of the roses, in the disc decreases in the radial direct n or the towards the circumference there to vent the bloclr of resilient material from the said recess in the radial direct.

3. A counting device claimed in 1, wherein the is surrounded by the shoulder on the digit wheel, and the height of shoulder is such that the side of ti disc remote from the digit wheel is substantially flush with th free edge of the shoulder.

4. A counting device as cla in claim 1, and comprising a projection on the shoulder at a side or said other recess, the directed towards the circumference of the disc, the said oircun crcnce oi the disc having a flattened portion adjacent the recess in said disc, the said projection having such a length that it norn'iaily is out of contact .th flattened portion of the circumference of the disc but is of contacting the non-.lat'tencci said circurrference the arrangement being such that normally owing to the resilient coup? effected by the resilient block, the tially registers with said 0th der, whereas, when the resil. comes in use we cut, he d in the approp dire-c shoulder on the said one projection on luer con" 'its the ference of said disc 2 counting device cocpris a digit wheels, a rotatable spindle, t for coupling the said spindle to one of the wheels for rotating it, abutment means on said one digit wheel, a disc on said rotatable spindle and rotatable therewith, block of resilient material forming a part of the resilient means and being held by said disc, a portion of said block of resilient material protruding radially beyond said disc, a shoulder forcing another, complementary, part of the resilient coupling and being provided on said one digit wheel for engagement with the protruding portion of said block of resilient material.

6. In a counting device, the combination or: two rotatable members, at least one of the said rotatable members being a digit wheel, a disc on one of said rotatable members rotatable there-- with, a block of resilient material held by disc, a portion of said block of resilient material protruding radially beyond said disc, and a shoulder provided on the other rotatable member and arranged for engagement with the protruding portion of said block of resilient material to provide a resilient coupling between the said two rotatable members.

7. A counting device as claimed in claim 6, and comprising abutment means on one of said two rotatable members, and further abutment means associated with the other rotatable member and rotatable therewith, the said abutment means and further abutment means being arranged for cooperation with each other when the said resilient coupling becomes damaged in use whereby thereafter to enable continued, use of the counting device for at least a limited period by a non-resilient coupling between the two rotatable members through the said abutment means and further abutment means. I

8. A counting device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the other rotatable member is a rotatable spindle.

9. In a counting device, the combination of two rotatable members, at least one of the said rotatable members being a digit wheel, means for resiliently coupling the said two rotatable members, a non-resilient abutment means rigid with one of the said two rotatable i'nembers, and a further non-resilient abutment means rigid with the other rotatable member, the said abutment means and further abutment means being normally separated from each other by an air gap maintained by the action of the said resilient coupling means when fully effective, the said abutment means and further abutment means being arranged for co-operatively abutting against each other when the said resilient coupling means be comes defective in use and consequent slipping between the said two rotatable members occurs, whereby thereafter to enable continued use of the counting device for at least a limited period, 

